Chapter 9: Unintentional embrace

Avery froze in place immediately she heard that familiarly annoying, but at the same, very soothing voice. His rich velvety voice made her heart race, partly because his voice gave her the tingles, but also because it reminded her of the downgrading words she had heard the same voice say to her in the past.

Avery took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts and summoned her inner strength. She knew she had to approach this interview with a level head, and clear mind.

'Remember, Avery. You are not here as yourself, so don't let the things of the past get in your way. You are here as Owen. You've got this!' She pep-talked herself, and then took a few steps towards the imposing desk, which seemed like it was a mile away.

But really, the office was so spacious, and had high ceilings that seemed to reach for the heavens. The office was a breathtaking masterpiece of architectural brilliance. Every corner of the room seemed to whisper tales of success and power. The air was filled with an intoxicating blend of ambition and determination.

Sunlight poured in through the expansive windows, casting a warm glow on the meticulously crafted furniture, and tastefully adorned walls.

Nestled in the heart of the office, a collection of 7-seater fabric sofas encircled a magnificent centerpiece table. It must have been designed for very important meetings with highly influential guests.

Avery's eyes which had been traveling everywhere in the office, finally landed on the man she had been avoiding eye contact with, since she got into the office. He was sitting behind his desk, seemingly engrossed in his work. He had a focused and serious expression on his face, as his fingers rhythmically tapped on the keyboard of his laptop.

As soon as she got closer to his desk, she cleared every thoughts from her head, and said, "Good morning sir."

Ethan on the other hand didn't stop whatever he was doing on his laptop, as he said, "We already saw each other this morning, so just tell me what you…" but then, he suddenly paused, and glanced up from his laptop.

As their eyes met, time seemed to stand still for a moment. Avery thought she had prepared herself for this moment, but it was easier said than done. His sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and well-groomed appearance easily yielded an irresistible charm. The man was typically a living temptation.

Ethan's serious expression was replaced by confusion as he eyed Avery. "Who let you in here?" He asked in a strict voice.

Avery was thankful for the strict way he had asked her that question, as it was enough to make her snap out of her monumental weakness.

Giving him one of her best smiles, she said, "Mr. Williams did, sir. I am Owen Campbell, and I'm here for my interview for the position of an IT professional in the technical department."

Ethan's face grew dark, as he heard what she had said, and Avery began to worry. Had she said something wrong? She then remembered that she was more than an hour late, so she quickly said, "Please don't be mad at Mr. Williams. I explained the reason why I was late to him, and he took compassion on me, and allowed me to come see you. I know it's unprofessional to be late, and I'm really sorry."

"You are sorry? It's only just the day of your interview, and you are already saying sorry? Then let's say I hire you, how can I be sure i wouldn't hear the word 'sorry' very often from you. Today, it is I'm sorry I came late for the interview, then tomorrow, it might be, I'm sorry I made a mistake with the programming for the game, or I'm sorry sir, I made a mistake with the game testing."

With the way things were going, it was most likely that she wasn't going to get the job. Avery began to panic as her desperation kicked in. "Please, sir, I assure you that none of those will happen. Just give me a chance, and check out my portfolio. I promise you won't regret it." She pleaded as she put a folder which contained Owen's portfolio on Ethan's desk.

She was then about to open it to reveal Owen's best work and accomplishments, and to show off Owen's skills and experiences, but a strong and warm hand suddenly grabbed hers, efficiently stopping her.

His touch felt a scalding iron searing through her skin, and time seemed to stand still as a surge of electricity coursed through her, leaving her monumentally frozen in shock, but it all died down when she looked up at him, and saw him glaring at her.

"The nerve of some people." He said as he shook his head, and tsked in disapproval. "Did I permit you to present your portfolio? You even had the guts to put it on my desk."

"I'm sorry, sir." Avery quickly apologized, "I just felt the need to show you that I would be a good asset to your company."

"And there it is again. You've already said the word 'sorry' twice in less than an hour. That is a bad sign right there. I can't take you in." Ethan said it in a tone which left no room for further arguments.

What else did he want from her? She acknowledged the fact that she was late, and she apologized for that, but apparently, he seemed to have a problem with the word 'sorry'. Did he want her to give an 'I don't care' attitude instead? Avery felt frustration like she had never felt before in her life. She wanted to pull against her hair to ease her frustration a little, but that would only expose the fact that she was wearing a wig.

"Alright, I'm not sorry, okay? But please, do give me a chance, I…"

"It's not about whether you are sorry, or not." Ethan sharply cut her off, "I can't have someone who didn't give me a good first impression, be in the technical department of my company, so please leave my office. Besides, I already have enough pro-technicians on my hands. I'm even looking forward to stripping some of them of their positions."

'Arrogant ass,' Avery cussed him out in her head, but she still managed to keep her annoyance in check. "I wouldn't have been late if it wasn't for an emergency at home. Someone had to be rushed to the hospital."

"Mr. Campbell, please humbly escort yourself out of my office, or I might have to call security." Ethan warned.

Avery's eyes stung with unshed tears, as her blood boiled in rage. If it had been a normal day, Avery would never suck up to anybody, no matter what position, or wealth the person might think they had, but this time, it was different, her brother's life was on the line. She was willing to put her pride and shame aside if that was what it would take for him to change his mind. She would even be willing to kiss his feet if he told her to.

"I see you don't want to leave." Ethan said and then he reached for the desk phone to make a call, but before he could reach it, Avery had already grabbed it. He looked up at her in shock, but she didn't even look apologetic.

"Young man, let's not do anything we would regret, alright?" Ethan said after he recovered from his shock. His tone made it loud and clear that he was threatening her.

"I also don't want to do anything I'll regret, so please just hear me out!" Avery unintentionally shouted, so her voice came out sounding a little peachy, and girly.

Ethan froze in shock, staring at her in amusement, but then it was then immediately replaced by anger as he stood up from his seat. "Hand over the phone… Right.. Now." He glowered at her as he took slow steps towards her.

Avery retreated backwards, still holding the desk phone safely in her hands. "I promise I will give it to you, but first you have to listen to me. I'm really so good at what I do, and my portfolio will prove it."

"No, this is my office, and you are the one who is supposed to do the listening. Hand over the phone!" Ethan had had it up to the limit, and in a swift movement, he sprinted towards Avery, catching her off guard.

Before Avery could even have the chance to react, he was already within close proximity. Startled, Avery attempted to escape, but she collided with the sofa.

As she stumbled, and was about to fall, her instinctive reflex kicked in, causing her to grab onto anything for support. Unfortunately for Ethan, he happened to be the closest object in her line of sight. So with a forceful tug, Avery pulled on Ethan's tie, dragging him down with her, as they both tumbled to the ground.

The room went eerily silent as they found themselves in an unintentional embrace. As if this wasn't bad enough, Avery's glasses too had fallen off her face, revealing her eyes.

Ethan stared deep into Avery's eyes for a moment, and then his next line of words, sent Avery into panic mode. "I knew you looked a bit familiar, but I just couldn't place it. But now, looking at you up-close, I know who you are."